1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of setting defect management information, a method of recording data, a computer program product, a computer readable storage medium, and an information recording apparatus. Particularly, the present invention relates to a method of setting defect management information used for managing a defective area in a recording area of an information recording medium, a method of recording data on an information recording medium, a computer program product implemented in an information recording apparatus, a computer readable storage medium storing such a computer program, and an information recording apparatus that records information on an information recording medium.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
As the performance of a personal computer (“PC”) has rapidly improved and the price of the PC has been lower, the PC is widely used for document creation, table calculation, and data management using databases. As an information recording medium used for recording data created by a PC and data used in a PC (“PC data”), an optical disk such as a compact disk (CD), and a digital versatile disk (DVD) capable of recording data of about 7 times as much as the CD on a disk of the same diameter as the CD, comes to attract attention. Further, an optical disk apparatus functioning as an information recording apparatus for recording information on an optical disk is becoming widespread.
In the case of using a rewritable optical disk, a defect management function is provided to ensure the reliability of recorded data. In the defect management function, a list which relates a defective area of an optical disk to its replacement area is recorded in a predetermined area of the optical disk. When recording data on and reproducing data from an optical disk, the use of the defective area can be prevented by referring to the list.
Generally, the defective area of an optical disk is detected through a so-called verification process in which a predetermined data pattern (dummy data) is recorded in a recording area of an optical disk during a formatting process of the optical disk, after which the dummy data recorded in the recording area is reproduced to obtain an error rate, for example.
Further, a so-called background formatting method is employed. In the background formatting method, recording and reproducing operations are prioritized, so that when a recording request or a reproduction request is received from a host apparatus during a formatting process, the formatting process is interrupted to perform the requested recording or reproducing operation. The formatting process is resumed after the recording or reproducing operation is completed. In this way, a user can record data on and reproduce data from an optical disk even when the formatting process on the optical disk is incomplete.
In the above-described background formatting method, data may be already recorded before the verification process is performed. Thus, when data is recorded in an area on which the verification process has not yet been performed, the verification process may be performed on this area after the recording of data, and a determination may be made as to whether the data can be properly reproduced.
With the advancement of digital technology and data compression technology, it has become possible to record AV (Audio-Visual) data such as music, and images, on an optical disk. Generally, the reliability of AV data is not so important as compared to PC data, because minor errors in AV data do not usually translate into errors in the resultant audio or video which can be detected by a person with ordinary sensory ability. Rather, it is more important that the recording of AV data can be prevented from being interrupted, that is, AV data can be recorded consecutively. For this reason, when recording AV data on an optical disk, the defect management for managing a defective area in a recording area of an optical disk is not performed.
Because what is requested by user is different between PC data and AV data when recording PC data and AV data on an optical disk, PC data and AV data are separately recorded on different optical disks as described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-48491, for example.
In another background technique, AV data and PC data are recorded on the same optical disk as described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-32378, for example. Specifically, an AV data area and a PC data area are provided in a recording area of an optical disk, and AV data and PC data are recorded in the AV data area and the PC data area, respectively In an optical disk in which both AV data and PC data are recorded, for example, AV data can be reproduced when the optical disk is set in a reproducing environment (e.g., a DVD player) in which AV data can be reproduced, and both AV data and PC data can be reproduced when the optical disk is set in an optical disk apparatus connected to a PC.
In a background technique, when recording AV data on an optical disk in which both AV data and PC data can be recorded, a defect management is not performed in a recording area of the optical disk. In this case, even if a PC data area in the recording area includes a defective area and a PC data recording target area in the PC data area includes a defective area, PC data is recorded in the PC data recording target area without preventing from recording the PC data in the defective area. Consequently, the reliability of the PC data may be degraded.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a method of setting defect management information that can properly record plural types of data for different uses on the same information recording medium.
Further, it is desirable to provide a method of recording data and an information recording apparatus that can properly record plural types of data for different uses on the same information recording medium.
Moreover, it is desirable to provide a computer program product that is implemented in the information recording apparatus and is capable of properly recording plural types of data for different uses on the same information recording medium, and to provide a computer readable storage medium storing such a computer program product.